The present invention relates to instruments used to evaluate selected components of a chemical sample. More specifically, the present invention relates to a flame ionization detector.
Flame ionization detectors are typically used to analyze hydrocarbon components in a sample taken from a source such as exhaust from an industrial smoke stack, an automobile engine during its testing or adjustment, and high purity gasses during their production and testing.
A flame ionization detector burner typically includes a housing with a flame cavity with intake passageways and an exhaust passageway. Inside the flame cavity there is a burner that receives fuel, air, and a sample to create a flame to ionize the samples. An ionization collector plate collects the ions and produces a signal. representative of the concentration of sample ions. Flame ionization detectors burners are often located in hazardous locations where flammable vapors are present in which the flame ionization detector is required to meet hazardous location approvals. Flame ionization detector burners are also often incorporated into other instruments such as hydrocarbon analyzers or gas chromatographs.
Flame ionization detector burners are composed of a variety of components that often require seals and can be complex and expensive to manufacture and service. Flame ionization detectors have constraints that limit flame stability resulting in reduced accuracy.
Additionally, flame ionization detector burners have thermal constraints that limit the proximity of their installation near heat sensitive components such as instrumentation.
For the foregoing reasons there is a need for a flame ionization detector that is simpler to manufacture, has improved flame stability, and has reduced thermal constraints.